A's for Effort

How to play moneyball and win

The makers of Moneyball have pulled off the impossible: an entertaining movie about baseball statistics (sexy!), centered on the Oakland A's teams of the early 2000s that never won a playoff series (inspirational!). This film on the driest of subjects even stars the most dashing of actors, Brad Pitt. That's like the Cubs winning the World Series.

In Moneyball (based on Michael Lewis' book and opening Sept. 23), Pitt plays A's general manager Billy Beane, who stockpiled players with undervalued skills. Beane's analytical rigor is now standard baseball procedure, so it's worth asking which of today's teams plays the best moneyball--high...